Gap in the market sees archaeology firm acquire first Yorkshire office

PRIVATELY-OWNED firm Headland Archaeology has opened its first Yorkshire office after securing £4.5m of new business.

One of the biggest archaeology firms in Europe, Headland’s new base will be in Leeds, and joining other offices in Edinburgh, Luton and Hereford.

The managing director of the firm Tim Holden said “there was a clear geographical gap” in the North of England.

Alistair Webb has been appointed as regional manager to head up the office. He specialises in geophysics.

Headland’s Leeds office will offer a contracting service with a team of geophysicists who will join a team of 95, with 40 new hires in the past year.

Mr Holden said: “Leeds was a natural choice for a number of reasons, namely it is supported by a good road network and we’re confident we’ll have access to a strong talent pool when we come to strengthen our team further.

“Our industry has changed considerably in the last five years – a number of archaeologists have left the sector, while some companies have fallen victim of the recession and others have merged or been taken over.

“We have weathered the storm well in comparison and used the quieter time wisely to ensure we are now in a great position to take advantage of the economic upturn and expand our business.”

Headland has worked on over 300 projects this last year, and includes sites at Europe’s biggest windfarm, Clyde Windfarm, as well as Drax Power Station.